Plum Island 7/29 - 8/1

[Rockfish9]

I didn't fish as much this week as usual, heat related work problems beat me down and kept me off the water..

Monday, I "stayed home" and fished the last 3 hours of the incoming in the river, temps were as cold as 56 in spots, but 60 on average, this particular spot is almost always good for at least a few "good" fish, but as luck would have it, just as I entered the "danger zone" some knuckle head sight seeing in a 13' whaler decided it was a good idea to run the grass line.. I stuck it out under prime conditions into the turn and never got a hit.

I didn't get back out until last night, after running my lobster pots, because of the combination of low/incoming tide and N/W wind, I decided to hit an old haunt on the beach that is under piping plover protection ( good if your a boat guy bad if you are a surf guy) the sun had just set when I saw the first fish finning on top, just outside the breakers, I lobbed a big eel towards the bait and it was on it like a green head on a sun bather, after a short scuffle, I unhooked a 20lb class pork chop boat side..
as darkness descended I put out a pair of trollers ( eels) and set up a 1 knot troll with the electric motor going with the tide and began casting into the sand with a 3rd outfit, about 1/4 mile from the original spot the plugging eel got thumped, I dropped the rod tip and let the 7/0 circle find flesh and the battle was on, as I walked astern to reel in the trollers, a second rod went off, quickly followed by the third, it was like old times, my first triple ( while fishing alone) in about 10 years, I managed to get all 3 fish boat side with no issues, all were released without removing them from the water, I took several casts with the "plugger" and had no takes, so I moved back along the surf line and continued my troll. I went about 20 yards and once again was hooked up on a double this time, again I landed both fish, both low to mid 20lb class, I turned the boat around and went back over the productive bar, I spooked a large pod of much smaller fish, but had no takers, when I got back to my original starting point I once again hooked up with the plugging rod, right in the suds, this fish was bigger, much bigger, after a spirited battle, I had what was in my estimation a 40lb + bass boat side, once again neatly lip hooked with the 7/0 circle, I admired the fish in the glow of my cap light for a few seconds before sending her on her way, never removing her from the water...I remember when nights like this happened almost nightly.. it was a little after midnight, and I was 45 minutes from the dock, work awaited me this morning at 6, I decided to go out on the high note... a weeks woth of work related misery lifted from my shoulders.
I sure hope this wasn't the last buffalo hunt... night goes by fast when your catching fish.
for those that fish the surf at P.I., I think the plover ban will be lifted next week, I heard they lifted it at the southern end ( Emerson rocks) and are just waiting on a few more chicks to fly.. good news for surf guys bad news for me, because it means more/longer travel..BTW. water temp on the reservation beach is 66 ( the water to the north of the river is still in the high 50's and low 60's)... tons of sand eels as well as pogies.

Lobstering was good, 9 keepers on a 5 day soak.. 8 shorts, 1
v notch..all on cow hide and pig bait , no fish bait.. 25' of water ( low tide)seems to be the lucky ticket.